Good Governance for a Good Society

　　Introduction

　　While governance is the exercise of authority – political, economic and administrative – to manage national resources and affairs, good governance is the art of making the government more receptive and accountable to the needs and aspirations of its populace.

　　The term “governance”[1] used in economics (as regards corporate governance) and political science (as regards State governance) implies effective political institutions and the responsible use of political power by the State to guarantee sustainable economic and human development. In varied contexts, good governance refers to the rules, the process of decision-making and the ways in which decisions are implemented so that it would reinforce participation, accountability, effectiveness and coherence in society as a whole.

　　Good governance as a concept is applicable to all sections of the society, such as government, legislature, the private sector, the corporate sector, secular and religious communities and non-government organizations (NGOs). In this paper the author confines the discussion to good governance in government in relation to a good society.

　　Nature of good governance

　　While bad governance is regarded as the root cause of all evil within our societies, good governance is considered as the interaction between democracy, social welfare and the rule of law. It is not easy to achieve good governance in its totality. Establishing good governance is to ensure sustainable human development as a reality.

　　There are several characteristics of good governance, of which the following eight are of key importance: participation, rule of law, consensus-orientation, transparency, responsiveness, effectiveness and efficiency, equitability and inclusiveness, and accountability.

　　Citizen participation is widely encouraged especially in decision-making and freedom of expression, which could be either direct or through representatives.

　　Good governance supports an impartial legal system, which can protect human rights of every citizen. Consensus-orientation requires decision-making based on widespread agreement to meet the different interests of the whole community, which is essential for sustainable human development.

　　Transparency requires open-mindedness in decision-making process, in accordance with rules and regulations. Responsiveness is to meet the needs of the citizenry within a reasonable timeframe. Effectiveness and efficiency are to make sustainable use of natural resources, providing best services that meet the requirements and aspirations of the society, while protecting the environment.

　　Equitability and inclusiveness guarantee that the sections of the population do not get excluded from the mainstream of the society. Accountability enforced with transparency and the rule of law should be toward the public and to their institutional stakeholders. Two-fold principle of good governance.While the absence of good governance is root cause of the crisis, good governance is crucial for sustainable development. Good governance is used as a key for building sustainable development and peace.

　　Good governance is a precondition for sustainable development. Good governance and sustainable development are interrelated. While good governance can improve development effectiveness, sustainable development enhances a good system of government. In countries where there is poor governance, corruption, abuse of human rights and lack of accountability, the development will not be possible.

　　With regard to political principles, good governance is a process of establishing an accountable form of government which promotes a pluralist civil society, freedom of expression and association. The basic requirement of good governance is to build…

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